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drjoannehill's review
4.0
Helen Sword generated 100 interviews with 'good' (according to a range of criteria) academic writers and gives a lot of the space in the book to their words on their thoughts and feelings about their successes, challenges and failures. There are tips in each chapter but the main intention in my eyes is to demonstrate that there are many ways to be a successful academic writer, not a single path. If writing every day is not possible for you, ok, that does not make you a failure. Other aspects are how to find pleasure in writing, how to take risks, how to write well, whether to edit as you go or later, whether co-writing is best, how to consider your audience. The book then encourages reflection on writing practices - with a foundation or base of behavioural, artisanal, social and emotional practices and needs.
If you have a journalling practice then this book may offer reflection prompts. In short, there's not this mystery way of being a writer that you just cannot emulate, as here are 100 writers to show us their experiences.
If you have a journalling practice then this book may offer reflection prompts. In short, there's not this mystery way of being a writer that you just cannot emulate, as here are 100 writers to show us their experiences.
c0ffee_l0ver's review
5.0
An excellent book providing insights from a variety of disciplines. Sword stitches together interviews and quotes from a myriad of sources that provide a well-rounded depiction of writing strategies.
annasirius's review
4.0
I didn't quite finish this (simply got distracted), but I found this a useful book that encourages academics to find their own modus operandi.